Sleep can affect numerous areas of our health and well-being, including physical and mental health, physical and cognitive performance, pain, injury, and quality of life.

Healthy sleep requires various components: sufficient quantity and quality, appropriate timing and regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbances or disorders.

In terms of quantity, how much sleep you need changes as you get older.

To promote optimal health, it’s currently recommended to sleep on a regular basis:
👶🏻 Newborn (0‒3 months): 14‒17 hours per day 2️⃣
🧒🏻 Infant (4‒12 months): 12‒16 hours per 24 hours (including naps) 3️⃣
🧒🏻 Toddler (1‒2 years): 11‒14 hours per 24 hours (including naps) 3️⃣
👦🏻 Pre-schooler (3‒5 years): 10‒13 hours per 24 hours (including naps) 3️⃣
👦🏻 School-age child (6‒12 years): 9‒12 hours per 24 hours 3️⃣
🧑🏻 Teenager (13‒18 years): 8‒10 hours per 24 hours 3️⃣
👨🏻 Adult (18‒60 years): ≥7 hours per day 1️⃣
🧔🏻‍♂️ Adult (61‒64 years): 7‒9 hours per day 2️⃣
👴🏻 Adult (≥65 years): 7‒8 hours per day. 2️⃣

These are general recommendations and how much sleep you need as an individual may differ.

If you’re concerned that you’re sleeping too little or too much, then you should consult your general practitioner 🙌

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References:
1️⃣ Watson et al. (2015) (PMID: 26039963)
2️⃣ Hirshkowitz et al. (2015) (PMID: 29073412)
3️⃣ Paruthi et al. (2016) (PMID: 27250809)

* Image from https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-sleeping-man-3771069/